Effect and Affect
 

Randomly I managed to create a document for work which contained multiple references to things 'affecting' other things and the 'effect' of that.

Now everybody in the company seems to be chiming in about what the difference is. This one document has gone back and forth a gazillion times.

I am deciding whether to commit ritual suicide on top of the photocopier or go on a homocidal rampage with a staple gun.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/affect.html
Does this explain it? I'm not sure... I have a feeling that confusion in recent years is a result of that technical term used by psychiatrists and social scientists that the writer refers to.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

People are stoopid, either accept it or commit suicide.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

Roland, I 'm suprised such a small thing could have such an affect on your coworkers :D

Re: Effect and Affect
 

In my opinion affect is how it impacts something, and effect is the thing causing the impact. It's hard to put into words as I am no writer!

So lets say immigration has an effect on the economy, how that affects you is not clear.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

Just ask them how an apostrophe should be used and deflect the debate from your document to something else. It will also be good for a laugh!

Re: Effect and Affect
 

That would be interesting in my office because the apostrophe is used differently in the Dutch language (I work for a Dutch bank), so a lot of them do use it 'incorrectly'.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

That's exactly right. I was wondering how to word it, but you said it beautifully :)

Re: Effect and Affect
 

Only took me about 3 hours to write it though!

Re: Effect and Affect
 

But you got there!!! That's the main thing! :D

Re: Effect and Affect
 

Here's another one for you (if you really want to confuse them next time you write a report...) ;)

Enquire
Inquire

I don't think I've ever seen the words 'enquire' or 'enquiry' in the States....I think they only tend to use 'inquire' or 'inquiry' here.

http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexper.../usage/enquire

Ooooh, here's another one:

Unorganized
Disorganized

http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexper...anized?view=uk

Have fun!

Re: Effect and Affect
 

The first one requires more thought than a Friday allows.

But disorganised means it was organised but badly. Unorganised means not organised at all.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

Don't agree. The thing doing something to "something else", is having an affect on it; the resulting change to the "something else", is the effect.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

Isn't that what I wrote? That the effect of an event is what affects you?

Re: Effect and Affect
 

I would say you have an effect on something, not an affect, except in the psychological usage mentioned above.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

I have no idea, I'm still very confused. Maybe I was affected by my psychology degree :p

Re: Effect and Affect
 

spookily - i was trying to explain inquire and enquire to myself a few days ago. ie i wanted to write 'inquiring minds want to know' - but was trying to make sure i had the right one? seems to be interchangable to me when i tried to look it up on dictionary.com

Re: Effect and Affect
 

When I worked in a library :o we had an "Inquiry Desk' and were told this was because inquiries are deeper than enquiries.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

The linked article put it simply and correctly:

"When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it."

"affect" is the verb that causes something to happen
"effect" is the noun that is the result of that something

Re: Effect and Affect
 

Yeah that's what I meant! I was top of the English class back in the day but try to get me to figure out what verbs and nouns are and I'm lost.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

The correct way to say what you said would be the thing doing something to "something else", is affecting it.

Re: Effect and Affect
 

Affect = have an effect on; make a difference to.

Effect = a change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause. Used to refer to the state of being or becoming operative.

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Re: Effect and Affect
 

screw it all and use "result" and "influence" instead.